Collapsible tube closures



Sept. 26, 1967 s. wowso COLLAPSIBLE TUBE CLOSUBES 2 Sheets-Sheetl Filed Aug. 18, 1966 TT QNEy INVENTOR. STAMLEy WON so Sept. 26, 1967 s. WONSO COLLAPSIBLE TUBE CLOSURES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 18, 1966 INVENTOR STAHL Ey WONO ATTOFZN Eys.

United States Patent 3,343,731 CGLLAPSIBLE TUBE CLOSURES Stanley Wonso, 9940 S. Crawford Ave., Oak Lawn, I11. 60453 Filed Aug. 18, 1966, Ser. No. 573,345 9 Claims. (or. 222-519 The present invention relates to improved closures for collapsible tubes and more particularly to a captive closure cap utilized with a cooperating neck assembly for a collapsible tube where the formed and assembled closure cap and neck are secured as an assembled unit to the collapsible tube which tube is then ready for filling.

In my copendin application Ser. No. 451,437, filed April 28, 1965, and now US. Patent No. 3,283,965, entitled Closure for Collapsible Tubes, a captive closure cap and neck assembly were disclosed where the neck was secured to the collapsible tube and had a cylindrical portion depending into the tube, and the closure cap with a depending plunger was assembled into the neck after the assembly of the neck and collapsible tube. The present invention relates to improvements on that basic concept which provide for a closure cap and neck assembly that can be assembled as a unit onto the collapsible tube without any portions of the assembly depending into the tube.

Among the objects of the present invention is the provision of an improved closure assembly for a collapsible tube where the cap of the closure and the neck are formed so that the parts do not depend below the securing flange of the neck into the top of the open collapsible tube. The neck extends upwardly from the reduced top portion of the collapsible tube a substantial distance and terminates either in a reduced threaded portion or in a flat annular surface. The cap has a slotted plunger depending therefrom of a length so as to terminate above the bottom plane of the neck member when the cap and neck are fully engaged.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of an improved closure for a collapsible tube where the neck adapted to be secured to the collapsible tube has a generally cylindrical central passage therethrough to receive the depending plunger on the cap, and a plurality of longitudinal slots in the side wall of the passage, at least one of which is adapted to be aligned with a slot in the plunger to feed the material in the tube to the exterior of the closure, and one slot is provided to form a flap or tab cooperating with a notch or recess in the plunger to normally limit outward longitudinal movement of the plunger in the neck.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved closure for collapsible tubes having a neck without external threads thereon. The neck includes a radially inwardly extending flange in the central passage adjacent the bottom of the neck defining a reduced diameter internally threaded opening. Also, the interior threads are eliminated from the cap and the lower end of the plunger is provided with a reduced depending threaded end which cooperates with the threaded opening in the flange of the neck to secure the cap in closed position.

Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity, efficiency, economy and ease of assembly and operation, and such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and are inherently possessed thereby.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical cross sectional view of the neck of the improved collapsible tube closure taken on the line 11 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross sectional view of the neck taken on the line 2--2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the cap and depending plunger of the improved'closure.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary or partial side elevational view of the lower end of the plunger of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the neck taken on line 55 of FIG. 2 with the collapsible tube omitted.

FIG. 6 is a vertical cross sectional view of the assembled cap and neck assembly in open dispensing position.

FIG. 7 is a horizontal cross sectional view of the assembled closure taken on the line 77 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a vertical cross sectional view of the opened closure taken on the line 88 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 9 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken on the line 99 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 10 is a vertical cross sectional view similar to FIGS. 6 and 8, but with the cap omitted and the plunger turned to its position for retraction or removal of the plunger and cap.

FIG. 11 is a horizontal cross sectional view of the assembled closure taken on the line 1111 of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken on the line 1212 of FIG. 10.

FIG. 13 is a vertical cross sectional view similar to FIG. 6 but showing the cap and plunger in retracted position.

FIG. 14 is a vertical cross sectional view of the neck of a second embodiment of the improved closure.

FIG. 15 is a top plan view of the neck on the collapsible tube of FIG. 14.

FIG. 16 is a vertical cross sectional view of the neck taken on the line 16-16 of FIG. 14.

FIG. 17 is a front elevational view of the cap and plunger of the second embodiment of closure assembly.

FIG. 18 is a fragmentary or partial side elevational view of the lower end of the plunger of FIG. 17.

FIG. 19 is a bottom plan view of the neck of FIG. 16 with the collapsible tube omitted.

FIG. 20 is a vertical cross sectional view of the assembled closure in dispensing position.

FIG. 21 is a vertical cross sectional view similar to FIG. 20, but with the closure and tube rotated FIG. 22 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken on the line 22-22 of FIG. 21.

FIG. 23 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken on the line 2323 of FIG. 21 with the collapsible tube omitted.

FIG. 24 is a partial vertical cross sectional view similar to FIG. 21 but with the cap and plunger rotated 90 to a position for retraction or removal of the plunger and cap.

FIG. 25 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken on the line 2525 of FIG. 24.

FIG. 26 is a vertical cross sectional view similar to FIG. 21 but showing the cap and plunger in closed position.

Referring more particularly to the disclosure in the drawings wherein are shown illustrative embodiments of the present invention, FIGS. 1 to 13 disclose a first embodiment of a closure assembly 10 for a collapsible tube 11 including a neck 12 and a closure 13. FIGS. 1 and 2 disclose the neck 12 as having a generally tapered side wall 14 terminating at its lower end in a knurled outwardly extending flange 15 (see FIG. 5), and the upper end 16 of the collapsible tube 11 has a flange portion 17 that is rolled around and onto the knurled flange 15 to secure the neck 12 and tube 11 together.

The upper end of the neck 12 terminates in a reduced diameter threaded portion 18 which cooperates with the internally threaded closure 13. The neck 12 has a central passage 19 which is inwardly stepped at shoulder 21 to a cylindrical passage 22 extending up through the threaded portion 18 and opening at the top thereof. The stepped passage 19, 22 provides a central wall 23 of increased thickness (see FIG. 2), and three generally longitudinally extendingpassages or slots 24, 24 and 25 are formed in the thicker wall 23 extending from the shoulder 21 to terminate short of the lower end of the threaded portion 18. These passages or slots 24, 24 and 25 open into the cylindrical passage 22 for a purpose to be later described.

The slots 24, 24 are located diametrically opposite each other in the passage 22 and the third slot 25 is positioned bet-ween and 90 removed from the slots 24, 24. The slot 25 is for the purpose of forming a normally inwardly extending resilient tongue 16, as seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5, which cooperates with the closure 13. This tongue 26 is formed by suitable cores in the molding of the plastic neck 12.

Cooperating with the neck 12 is the closure 13 which includes a knurled cap 27 internally threaded at 28 to cooperate with the threaded portion 18 of the neck 12, and a depending cylindrical plunger 29 conformably received within the cylindrical passage 22. The plunger 29 includes an elongated slot 31 opening in one side of the plunger 29 and a pair of oppositely disposed notches 32 adjacent the lower beveled end 33 of the plunger 29 and 90 removed from the slot 31.

As seen in FIGS. 6 to 13, the closure 13 is assembled to the neck 12 by inserting the plunger 29 into the cylindrical passage 22 with the slot 31 in the plunger 29 aligned with a relatively long or extended groove 34 formed on the exterior of the neck 12 (see FIG. 11). The plunger will engage and urge the resilient tab 26 outward into the slot 25 so as not to interfere with the travel of the plunger 29. When the threaded surface 28 of the cap 27 begins to engage the threaded portion 18 of the neck 12, the upper end of the slot 31 in plunger 29 will be below the tab 26 to eliminate any interference therebetween during rotation of the cap 27 and plunger 29 to the final closed position shown in FIG. 13.

To dispense a quantity of the material in the collapsible tube 11, the cap is rotated to disengage the threads and the cap 27 and plunger 29 are pulled partially upward until the upper end of the slot 31 of the plunger 29 is exposed above the threaded portion 18 of the neck 12, and the cap is then rotated to align the slot 31 with either of the two short grooves 35, 35 on the exterior of the neck 12. By aligning the slot 31 with a groove 35, the slot 31 is automatically aligned with one of the opposed slots 24 (see FIG. 8). The cap is then pulled upward relative to the tube 11 and neck 12 until the tab 26 extends into and engages a notch 32 on the plunger 29 to limit further movement of the plunger (see FIG. 6).

The upper end of slot 31 is then exposed for a predetermined length to allow dispensing of the tooth paste, medicant or other flowable material from the tube 11. Pressure is applied to the sides of the tube and the material in the tube passes upwardly through passage 19, slots 24, 24, 25, and into and through the slot 31 in plunger 29 to the exterior of the closure. To retract the cap 27 and plunger 29, the cap is rotated until the slot 31 is aligned with the long groove 34 (see FIG. 11) to cam the tab 26 out of either notch 32, and the cap is then depressed and rotated to threadingly engage the cap and neck 12. If the consumer does not wish to utilize the dispensing feature, when the cap is pulled upward, the slot 31 is aligned with the long groove 34, and the cap and plunger can be pulled directly out of the neck 12.

This dispensing construction provides the advantage of an absence of product tail when the cap is depressed as the beveled end 33 of the plunger urges the material therebelow in passage 22 downward without any back pressure to urge the material upward out of the slots 24, 24, 25 in the neck 12 or slot 31 in the plunger 29. Further, when the cap 27 and plunger 29 are fully engaged with the neck 12 as seen in FIG. 13, the lower end 33 of the plunger 29 does not extend below the knurled flange 15 of the neck, and the plunger and neck do not extend into the top of the collapsible tube 11. Therefore, after forming the neck 12 and the closure 13, these two members may be assembled and the tube 11 through the portion 17 is affixed to the assembly, and the tube is then ready for filling.

As stated in my previous application Ser. No. 451,437, the cap and neck are formed of different plastic materials, with one member being formed of a generally flexible plastic and the other member formed of a generally rigid plastic.

A second embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 14 to 26 where, for esthetic reasons, the threaded portions on the neck and closure are normally concealed so as to provide a smooth, streamlined appearance. This embodiment includes a tapered neck 36 (FIGS. 14 to 16) having a flat top surface 37 and terminating at its lower end in an outwardly extending radial flange 38 having a knurled periphery for securing to the inner flange 17 of the top 16 of a collapsible tube 11 The neck 36 is provided with a central cylindrical passage 39 terminating at the lower end in an inwardly extending flange defining an internally threaded opening 41 of a diameter smaller than the diameter of passage 39.

The wall of the neck 36 is provided with opposed elongated slots 42, 42 and a third slot 43 between the two slots and removed therefrom (FIG. 14); the slots opening at their lower ends in the lower surface or shoulder 44 of the neck 36 and terminating short of the upper surface 37. All three slots open into the length of the central passage 39 for the passage of the material to be dispensed from the tube 11 The slot 43 defines an inwardly extending tab 45 at the upper end thereof for a purpose to be described; the tab 45 being flexible and shown in normal position in FIG. 16.

The closure 46 includes a knurled cap 47 having a depending plunger defined by a flat annular shoulder 49 adapted to abut the flat upper surface 37 of the neck 36. The plunger includes an elongated slot 51 opening in one side of the plunger, and a pair of oppositely disposed notches 52 removed 90 from the slot 51 and located adjacent the beveled shoulder 53 of the plunger. Extending below the shoulder 53 is a threaded projection 54 adapted to cooperate with the threaded opening 41 in the neck 36.

To assemble the closure 46 to the neck 36, the plunger 48 is inserted into the passage 39 with the slot 51 aligned with the long or extended groove 55 formed in the periphery of the neck 36. The plunger 48 may be inserted (see FIG. 24) Without interference from the tab 45 and, when the threaded projection 54 approaches the threaded opening 41, the cap 47 and plunger 48 are rotated to threadingly engage the projection 54 in opening 41 until the shoulder 49 abuts the top surface 37 of the neck 36.

To dispense material from the tube 11 the cap 47 is rotated to disengage the projection 54 from the threaded opening 41, and the cap and plunger 48 are lifted until the upper end of the slot 51 is exposed above the surface 37. Then the cap is rotated to align the slot 51 with either one of the short grooves 56 on the neck 36 (FIG. 20) so as to align the slot 51 with one of the two opposed slots 42 in the neck. Then the cap and plunger 48 are further pulled outward until the flexible tab 45 engages a notch 52 in the plunger 48 (see FIG. 21) to limit further movement of the plunger with a predetermined length of the slot 51 exposed.

To return the cap 47 to closed position, the cap is rotated to align the slot 51 with long groove 55 (FIG. 24) thus moving tab 45 out of notch 52, and the cap and plunger are retracted and then rotated to threadedly engage the projection 54 in the threaded opening 41. If the consumer does not wish to utilize the dispensing feature of the closure assembly, the cap and plunger can be completely removed from the neck 36 by aligning the slot 51 with the long groove 55 and exerting an outward pull on the cap.

When the slot 51 is aligned with the groove 55, the flexible tab 45 is cammed into the slot 43 (FIGS. 24 and 25).

As in the previous embodiment, this assembly provides an absence of product tail upon closing the closure assembly, and the projection 54 on the plunger 48 and lower surface 44 of the neck do not project below the flange 38 into the tube 11 so that the formed neck 36 and closure 46 may be assembled together, and this assembly is then secured to the tube 11 which is immediately ready for filling with the material to be dispensed.

While the improvement has been shown and described as being advantageously applicable to collapsible tubes, it is not my desire or intent to unnecessarily limit the scope or the utility of the improved features by virtue of these illustrative embodiments.

Having thus disclosed the invention, I claim:

1. A closure for a collapsible tube or other container, comprising a neck aflixed to a collapsible tube and a cap mounted for limited reciprocation toward and away from said neck and threadingly engaging the neck to seal the tube, said neck having a central cylindrical passage therethrough, a pair of oppositely disposed longitudinally extending slots opening into the central passage and terminating short of the upper end of the neck, and a third slot in the neck defining a flexible tab extending into the central passage in said neck between the opposed slots, and said cap including a depending plunger having a pair of oppositely disposed notches adjacent its lower end, either of said notches adapted to cooperate with said tab to limit longitudinal movement of the plunger in the cylindrical passage, and an elongated longitudinally extending slot opening along one side of the plunger and adapted to be aligned with one of said opposed slots in the neck for the passage therethrough and dispensing of a limited quantity of the contents of the tube, the upper end of the slot in the plunger being exposed above the neck when the cap and plunger are withdrawn to dispensing position as limited by the flexible tab cooperating with a notch on the plunger, said neck terminating at the juncture with the collapsible tube and said plunger in retracted position being wholly within the neck so that the interior of the collapsible tube is free from the neck and plunger depending therein.

2. A closure for a collapsible tube as set forth in claim 1, in which the surface of said plunger cams said flexible tab into its associated slot.

3. A closure for a collapsible tube as set forth in claim 1, in which said neck has a shoulder therein defining the lower end of the cylindrical passage, and said longitudinally extending slots opening into said shoulder.

4. A closure for a collapsible tube as set forth in claim 3, in which said neck terminates at its upper end in a threaded portion of reduced diameter and said cap is internally threaded to cooperate with said threaded neck portion.

5. A closure for a collapsible tube as set forth in claim 1, in which said neck terminates at its upper end in a flat annular surface and terminates short of its lower end in a shoulder, an inwardly extending flange at said shoulder and defining the lower end of said cylindrical passage, said flange defining an internally threaded central opening aligned with said passage and of a diameter smaller than the diameter of the central passage.

6. A closure for a collapsible tube as set forth in claim 5, in which said plunger terminates in a depending threaded projection adapted to threadingly engage the threaded opening in said flange.

7. A closure for a collapsible tube as set forth in claim 5, in which said slots open at their lower ends in said shoulder.

8. A closure for a collapsible tube as set forth in claim 1, in which said neck terminates at its lower end in an outwardly extending knurled flange to be attached to the upper end of the collapsible tube.

9. A closure for a collapsible tube as set forth in claim 1, in which said neck has a long longitudinal groove on its periphery opposite the flexible tab, and short grooves on its periphery aligned with the oppositely disposed slots, said long and short grooves being visual indicators for orientation of the slot in the plunger.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,927,122 9/ 1933 Horner et al 2225 19 2,574,990 11/ 1951 Waite 222-522 3,262,613 7/ 1966 Miller 222522 ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner. F. R. HANDREN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A CLOSURE FOR A COLLAPSIBLE TUBE OR OTHER CONTAINER, COMPRISING A NECK AFFIXED TO A COLLAPSIBLE TUBE AND A CAP MOUNTED FOR LIMITED RECIPROCATION TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID NECK AND THREADINGLY ENGAGING THE NECK OF SEAL THE TUBE, SAID NECK HAVING A CENTRAL CYLINDRICAL PASSAGE THERETHROUGH, A PAIR OF OPPOSITELY DISPOSED LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SLOTS OPENING INTO THE CENTRAL PASSAGE AND TERMINATING SHORT OF THE UPPER END OF THE NECK, AND A THIRD SLOT IN THE NECK DEFINING A FLEXIBLE TAB EXTENDING INTO THE CENTRAL PASSAGE IN SAID NECK BETWEEN THE OPPOSED SLOTS, AND SAID CAP INCLUDING A DEPENDING PLUNGER HAVING A PAIR OF OPPOSITELY DISPOSED NOTCHES ADJACENT ITS LOWER END, EITHER OF SAID NOTCHES ADAPTED TO COOPERATE WITH SAID TAB TO LIMIT LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF THE PLUNGER AND CYLINDRICAL PASSAGE, AND AN ELONGATED LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SLOT OPENING ALONG ONE SIDE OF THE PLUNGER AND ADAPTED TO BE ALIGNED WITH ONE OF SAID OPPOSED SLOTS IN THE NECK FOR PASSAGE THERETHROUGH AND DISPENSING OF A LIMITED QUANTITY OF THE CONTENTS OF THE TUBE, THE UPPER END OF THE SLOT IN THE PLUNGER BEING EXPOSED ABOVE THE NECK WHEN THE CAP AND PLUNGER ARE WITHDRAWN TO DISPENSING POSITION AS LIMITED BY THE FLEXIBLE TAB COOPERATING WITH A NOTCH ON THE PLUNGER, SAID NECK TERMINATING AT THE JUNCTURE WITH THE COLLAPSIBLE TUBE AND SAID PLUNGER IN RETRACTED POSITION BEING WHOLLY WITHIN THE NECK SO THAT THE INTERIOR OF THE COLLAPSIBLE TUBE IS FREE FROM THE NECK AND PLUNGER DEPENDING THEREIN. 